Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Planted Tank Forum forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

OR

Log-in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Topic Review (Newest First)

05-04-2008 11:40 PM

Sticky230

I've had nothing but good experiences at New World. When i had a tannin problem and i was looking at purigen, they suggested bio-chem zorb and it worked out great. Overnight i had no more tannin problem. They have also been helpful with plants for my 12g eclipse which is hard to stock with the low light. They sold me some wisteria which has been kicking butt. I'm probbaly headed back soon for some more fish. Plus they have the honey gouramis which rule.

Pacific is a good place. I haven't bought much there, but i found their prices ridiculously cheap. I bought my initial 3 zebras there, and one is still alive so I guess their fish are ok. i will probably go there again soon.

I haven't been to Win's. Around the corner eh?

I recently got a 5.5 gallon at a petland when i was buying food for 8 bucks. So i will probably attempt to get all my supplies at either of the two. Though i will head to NW first.

02-25-2008 03:34 AM

FrostyNYC

I went to New World Aquarium for the first time today. I was pleasantly surprised but not blown away. It was clean and well maintained with several large tanks full of plants. What was odd to me is that they're using the plant tanks to store large discus and cichlids. There was a 6 inch cichlid with what appeared to be hole-in-head disease in one of the plant tanks. No way would I buy something out of that tank. Note: The plants are expensive, especially the bunch plants. Even so, this store is worth visiting if you work or live in Manhattan. Since I was on a hunt for carpet plants, Ill add that they had HM & HC but no glosso. Edit: I suspect that they got a plant delivery today, cause the tanks were full to the brim, which contradicts what peopel said in previous reviews.

I also went to Pacific Aquarium on Delancy Street. The place smells like fish (in a bad way) and needs a renovation. The plant tanks were a mess. I will say this tho--I saw no dead fish, and no signs of disease. I probably won't go back, as their plant selection was nothing to write home about... although Win Aquarium is right around the block, with their great $1.50 amano shrimp.... On a customer service note, I walked in the store 40 minutes before their closing time (they close at 7:30pm), and 5-10 minutes later an employee comes back to tell me that I have 10 more minutes to shop. Well, I left.

01-16-2008 06:10 AM

Trace63

I cant STAND New World. Went there for the second time the other night and I swore Ill never go back. Its just not worth it. Both times I went their selection was meh.

I mean, for such a small shop they def. did have quite a bit, especially salt water, but for those prices...WA WA WEE WA.
I could never see myself paying 3.99 for a harlequin rasbora...never!

01-10-2008 09:25 PM

speedballz

I get a lot of my fishes, plants and supplies from Pacific with discounts. Must be the fact that my sister's boyfriend is the younger brother of the store owner

The fishes from them last longer than the crap I buy sometimes from Petco.

12-14-2007 08:07 PM

krak256

my personal opinion on New World: i think they have a good selection of fish and they generally look healthy... but i their plants seem to be rotting or have algae problems.

the guy definitely tried to sell me stuff i didn't need. i got manipulated into buying a fresh water filter which i didnt really need, and when i tried to return it, i could only get store credit.
- you definitely don't need a water filter for nyc water. just add some drops and u'll be fine. read up on what you need before you go there. dont get duped into buying something you dont need, like me.

Are any of the fish stores in New York City - Select Dealers for Seachem?

I would kill for that in Upstate NY in the Albany area.

Here, if it is not salt water fish at $50.00 a fish, well, good luck.

I second that part about getting information online.
I may purchase my fish locally, bull[censored][censored][censored][censored] with the nice staff in the store, etc.
But if I want to learn from someone that knows their crap with this hobby, I'll go online.

I barely know my stuff (compared to friends online) after so many years, but compared to the staff in the stores locally - I am the expert. Go figure.

But on the other hand, how much do you think the staff are being paid to work in a fish store. Really.

Hey, you probably figured out about buying Seachem product online. Bigals and thatfishplace are both good and cheap Seachem sources.

billy

01-21-2007 02:21 AM

Jimbo205

Are any of the fish stores in New York City - Select Dealers for Seachem?

I would kill for that in Upstate NY in the Albany area.

Here, if it is not salt water fish at $50.00 a fish, well, good luck.

I second that part about getting information online.
I may purchase my fish locally, bull[censored][censored][censored][censored] with the nice staff in the store, etc.
But if I want to learn from someone that knows their crap with this hobby, I'll go online.

I barely know my stuff (compared to friends online) after so many years, but compared to the staff in the stores locally - I am the expert. Go figure.

But on the other hand, how much do you think the staff are being paid to work in a fish store. Really.

01-02-2007 06:54 PM

turbosaurus

Fishtown USA visit- A+ on livestock

Sorry to get off the Win topic but...

I went to fishtown USA on Northern Blvd. on Sunday afternoon and I loved it.

The plants were not so hot, limited varieties and very expensive, BUT

I give them an A+ for livestock. Everything looks extremely healthy, and was very reasonable. I bought bamboo shrimp for $4.75 ($7 at my LFS) and they had beautiful rainbows- big adult male rainbows between $3.99 and $9.99- Bosemani, new ginea, australian, preaecox, and two others- which I thought extremely reasonable as they are $10-$18 at my local places and aren't this big and healthy. They also had very nice 2-3" discus for $9.99 - which I was really tempted to pick up... They also had small amano shrimp for $1.99.

Most importantly- eveything looks very healthy and well cared for. The rainbows and shrimp were both eating within minutes of being put in their new tanks and are doing very well.

12-18-2006 08:01 PM

spypet

here's another updated but mixed review of Pacific on Delancey.

so far I've gone twice and both times bought nothing. (rare for me)
$25 for eco-complete and $21 for flourite is pretty high for Chinatown.
their wood and rock assortment is nice, but prices are equally inflated.
they first led me to believe they get their live deliveries Sunday,
but coming 2 Mondays and all I see are near empty sickly tanks.

I tried to bargain them down on a $40 plastic ornament that has
gone unsold for over 2 Months, they were too proud to come down,
or maybe I need to be Asian? who knows.

Pacific sell a lot of juvenile fish nearly the same price they sell
grown in other stores. I guess that's good if you have a nano.
a $2 panda cory that goes for $4 when fully grown is no bargin.

anyway, since LPS in NYC are pretty disappointing, then I guess
Pacific is definitely among the better ones, just make sure you
call a few times to be sure they have the fish you want freshly
stocked before bothering to visit. It's a good place to buy
large schools of fish, like $2 Rummynose IF they are in stock,
and most school fish; there if you buy 2 you get the 3rd one free.

If you live in NYC and have a car, it really pays to drive out to
FishTown USA on Northern Blvd. dry good prices are high, but
their live fish and plants are the best I've seen in all 5-Boros
they generally get restocked every Wednesday/Thursday in time
for the heavy shopping traffic over the weekend. Fishtown also
has '3 for 2' and '2 get 2nd half off' deals on fish and plants.

I also visited Petco at Union Square to get more red claw crabs.
they always have interesting well displayed live fish at low prices.
it's also fun to walk around the outdoor farmers market like a tourist

09-22-2006 05:21 AM

soundtweakers

Quote:

Oddly enough, New World tried to sell me Chinese algae eaters when I wantd SAE's and I specifically said I was starting a heavily planted tank

I've gotten "false"Algae Eaters from New World that was marked as SAEs,
and none survived. The store credit from Pacific for that expired Test kit got me a few True SAEs that has grown into huge 5 inchers, all three has been in my tank for almost a year now.

Quote:

I have to go there on those days then because every time I go there, I haven't seen any shrimp at all.

Me too..

Overall, all these stores pay alot for rent(like the rest of us), and they do care for their business. I still do visit most of them all the time, although frequently you'll walk in on a "bad" day, there are definitely good days too.
If we don't support these local pet shops, all we have left will be petcos and petland disounts. Can you imagine?

Billy
btw, I work in a music store,not affiliated with any of those LFS mentioned here(although that would get me some nice discounts!!

I've also picked up a tiny clump of trimmings(pearl weeds) on the their sidewalk while they were cleaning their planted display tank(a really nice one, too!). They siphon the water out of that tank and to the sidewalk in front of their store. I still can't find pearl weed for sale anywhere, and aparently I don't need to find them anymore, my little garbage picking is growing into a nice thicket.

Maybe I should hang out in front of the store whenever they're done cleaning their tanks. Heheh...

Few stores down from Win's Tropical(Mott St.), there is this other Chinese place specialize in flowerhorns and discus and other cichlids. If you are looking for discus in NYC(and if you can speak Chinese), this is the place to go. Sorry I don't have their name, but they are on the corner of Mott St. and Kenmare(I think).

I've been to Win before. Some of their fish don't look very healthy to me though. They have a good selection. And yes, the other Chinese store near Win has some very nice discus and cichlids, but the prices WAY out of my league.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fresh_newby;

Wins on Mott is great for shrimp. You have to go there on Sunday or Monday though or they are all gone. They also have funny names for their shrimp like green chinese algae shrimp and blue tiger shrimp. All of which don't exist, but you can get some good ones...lol

I have to go there on those days then because every time I go there, I haven't seen any shrimp at all.

I've purchased expired GH/KH test kit(didn't check at the store)from Pacific on Delancy, and I phone them back right away in the bus on my way home, they gave me no hassle and told me to keep the test kit and go back anytime to use my store credit. So a couple of weeks later I went back for three true Siamese Algae Eaters, and these three SAEs are my first ones to live more than a year in my tank(from juvs to 4 inches adults).

I've also picked up a tiny clump of trimmings(pearl weeds) on the their sidewalk while they were cleaning their planted display tank(a really nice one, too!). They siphon the water out of that tank and to the sidewalk in front of their store. I still can't find pearl weed for sale anywhere, and aparently I don't need to find them anymore, my little garbage picking is growing into a nice thicket.

Needless to say, I love Pacific Aquarium on Delancy.

Few stores down from Win's Tropical(Mott St.), there is this other Chinese place specialize in flowerhorns and discus and other cichlids. If you are looking for discus in NYC(and if you can speak Chinese), this is the place to go. Sorry I don't have their name, but they are on the corner of Mott St. and Kenmare(I think).

Pacific had definitely won my favor after my first bad experience. He flat out told me that his nephew was helping out one day and gave my husband the wrong info, because he doesn't know squat about fish...nice huh? Anyway They have since been a great resource. I get Amanos for about 2.50 each and they have a decent selection of plants. I did get 2 corys from them that failed to thrive and died by day 3 after 1.5 hour acclimation and great conditions, but all in all they are good.
Wins on Mott is great for shrimp. You have to go there on Sunday or Monday though or they are all gone. They also have funny names for their shrimp like green chinese algae shrimp and blue tiger shrimp. All of which don't exist, but you can get some good ones...lol
Oddly enough, New World tried to sell me Chinese algae eaters when I wantd SAE's and I specifically said I was starting a heavily planted tank. They also told me not to cycle my tank with any fish for the first 6 weeks, despite the fact that I was heavily planted. I ended up getting 6 purple danios on aquabid to cycle my tank and that was in April. They are still flourishing and happy.

09-14-2006 03:57 AM

soundtweakers

I've purchased expired GH/KH test kit(didn't check at the store)from Pacific on Delancy, and I phone them back right away in the bus on my way home, they gave me no hassle and told me to keep the test kit and go back anytime to use my store credit. So a couple of weeks later I went back for three true Siamese Algae Eaters, and these three SAEs are my first ones to live more than a year in my tank(from juvs to 4 inches adults).

I've also picked up a tiny clump of trimmings(pearl weeds) on the their sidewalk while they were cleaning their planted display tank(a really nice one, too!). They siphon the water out of that tank and to the sidewalk in front of their store. I still can't find pearl weed for sale anywhere, and aparently I don't need to find them anymore, my little garbage picking is growing into a nice thicket.

Needless to say, I love Pacific Aquarium on Delancy.

Few stores down from Win's Tropical(Mott St.), there is this other Chinese place specialize in flowerhorns and discus and other cichlids. If you are looking for discus in NYC(and if you can speak Chinese), this is the place to go. Sorry I don't have their name, but they are on the corner of Mott St. and Kenmare(I think).

09-13-2006 01:53 AM

bereninga

Pacific Aquarium

I've recently made my first trip to Pacific Aquarium on Delancey and I am very happy with the service that I got there. The plant selection is very nice and they take care of their plants too. The people who work there are very kind and helpful. I've been to a few stores in NYC and so far, this is one of the best.

04-30-2006 12:24 AM

heidisue

I had a very similar experience at New World. They sold me a LOT of stuff that I didn't need and completely talked me out of doing a planted tank, which was my dream. I ended up with so much crap that I didn't need. Now I'm moving along happily with my planted tank and I get most of my supplies online, too. I would say that their fish are much better than Petco, though. Much helathier and they are better informed about the fish themselves. But irritating to be sold stuff that's unnecessary.

This thread has more than 15 replies.
Click here to review the whole thread.